Controlling device for waterways.



'W. L. HURST. CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR WATERWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 18, 1913. 1,093,425.

PatentedApr. 14,1914.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. 17.9

I V rjg j lll 'IIWENTOR I ATTORNEYS W. L. HURST. CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR WATERWAYS.

' APPLICATION FILED O0T.1B, 1913. 1,093,425.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

6. INVENTOR w fzzmz ezdzmz WITNESSES ATTORNEYS WILFORD LAFAYETTE HUB-ST, OF ASPEN, COLORADO.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR WATERWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 18, 1913.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914. Seria1 No. 795,895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILFORD LAFAYETTE HURsr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Aspen, in the county of Pitkin and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved Controlling Device for Waterways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved controlling device for use in irrigation ditches and other waterways, and arranged to automatically regulate the volume of water flowing through the ditch under normal conditions, to keep the controlling device automatically free of accumulating trash and other extraneous matter, and to automatically close the water-way in case of a flood.

In order to produce the desired result, use is made of a normally open shut-01f or flood gate arranged in the water-way, a floatcontrolled-regulating gate arranged in the water-way and controlled by the rise and fall of the water in the water-way, and supporting means normally supporting the shutofl gate in raised position and controlled by the said regulating gate, the latter under normal conditions controlling the volume of water passing through the water-way, and the said regulating gate under abnormal or flood conditions releasing said supporting means to allow the said shut-ofl' or flood gate to drop into closed position thereby shutting off the water from the water-way.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation of the controlling device for water-ways as applied; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar View of the same on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the releasing devices; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the controlling device as applied; and Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

The entrance of the ditch or other waterway A to the head B is controlled by a shutoff or flood gate G and a regulating gate D, the said gates C and D being mounted to slide up and down in suitable guideways E, E arranged in the abutments E built in the water-way A.

The regulating gate- I D is pivotally connected at its upper edge at F with a float lever F fulcrumed on a rod G extending transversely and adjustably held in one of a series of openings G arranged in a post G attached to a cross bar G spanning the abutments E The lever F extends down stream and is pivotally connected at F with a bracket H arranged on a float H extending in the water-way A below the regulating gate D. The float H rises and falls with the water in the waterway A and in doing so it imparts a swinging motion to the float lever F whereby the regulating gate D is raised or lowered to automatically regulate the volume of water passing down the water-way A. By adjusting the rod G in the post G the gate D can be set to open more or less under normal conditions according to the volume of water desired to flow from the head B through the water-way A. The float lever F is guided in a bracket I attached to the float H intermediate the bracket H and the rod G, and the said bracket I is provided with pins I, I spaced from the top and bottom edges of the said lever to allow a slight oscillation of the floatI-I relative to the float lever and to maintain the float in an approximately horizontal position on the float rising and falling. It will be noticed that in case trash locates against the face of the gate D in the watenway A then the float H falls a sufficient distance to raise the gate D and thus allow the trash or other extraneous matter to pass under the gate D and down the water-way A. As soon as the gate D is relieved of the extraneous matter the inrush of the water causes the float H to rise whereby the gate D is lowered to normal position. It is further understood that according to the amount of water drawn from the waterway A for irrigating or other purposes its level falls and rises to cause the gate D to correspondingly rise and fall to supply the. water-way A with the proper volume of water.

The shut-ofl or flood gate C is normally held in a raised position with its lower edge above the lower edge of the regulating gate D when the latter is in normal position. The gate C is provided with an upwardlyextending red C adapted to be raised, the latter being provided at its sides with sets of notches C 0 located one above the other, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. One of the set of notches C or C is engaged at a time by a supporting means J preferably in the form of bolts mounted to slide transversely.

in suitable guideways E arranged in the abutments E (see Fig. 2). Thus by the arrangement described the shut-off or flood gate C is normally held in raised position. 1

The supporting means J are pivotally connected with arms K held on rock shafts K journaled in suitable bearings K attached to the outside of the abutmentsE rockshafts'K are secured arms K adapted tobe engaged by the lower ends N of rods N extending upwardly and having their upperends attached 'to or forming"part"of crossbar 1V fastened-byclipsO to bars I" secured to the regulatinggate -D and "extending 'upwardly therefrom. Each of the clips'O is'adjustably held'in oneof a series of apertures P' arranged in the oorresponding barP to allow 'of raising or lowering the bar N and-the rods N with a view 'to move the lowel 'ends N nearer' to or farther from the arms 'K rods "N are mounted to slide in guidewaysQ attached to the outside of the abutments- E Springs-L, L presson' the arms -K, K- to normally hold the'supporting means *J inen gagement with the corresponding 'set ofnotches C or C ,and to hold the arms K- in position for-engagement by thefends N of the' rods N; The lower endsN are a dis-* ta'ne'e above the arms K so as not to engage the said arms K during the ordinary rising movement of the gate D. In case of "a "flood and consequent 1 rise'* of the water -*in the waterway A "beyond normal high level th'e float -H- rises correspondingly i and in doing somoves' the gate D downward whereby the: ends Ni of the rods "N engagethe arms K and impart a a swinging motion-to thesafiota' against" the tension of thesprings TL, L

whereby a rocking movement is given to the rock shaftsK" so that-the arm's Kswing out off thus preventing 'injuryto th'ban s f thewater-way A by a heavy flood.-

It is iinderst'ood that "during a heavy rai r'ii cie'ntly high to cause the floatH to move theregulating gate D a sufficient distaneedown ward for the ends N of the arms N to actu flood" gate C to allowthe latter to drop as-' previously explained; I It will be noticed that when thistakesplace"the head B is dis connectedfromthe water-' wafA," and the water accumulating in the water 'wa'y""A-jfrom'the heavyrain can be taken careofwithout-"danger of brealringthe banks of-the" wa ter-wayf- After' the flood has subsided in" thewate'r-w'ay. A thegateD returns to nor On the mal position owing to the action of the float H, and then the gate C is raised by the operator to allow'the supporting means J to reengage thedesired set of notches C or C to hold the gate C locked in open position.

The float H is beveled or rounded ofi at its 7 forward end (see Fig. 5) to oflerthe least resistance to the'current of water, thus insuring easy riding of the float on the water and preventing the float from'being sucked in the"wva:ter'-Way andnormally inopenpo si-ticn; a regulating gate 1 arrangedin the said water-"wayymean's' actuated by the rise {and fall' of the water in the said water-way for-lowering*and-raisingthesaid re ulating gate to regulate the amount of the water flox'ving thr-ou lrthe waiter-way undernor mal conditions, and means for automatically fcon trelling tlie 'closing-"of' the said shut-oil gate an abnormal rise of the water "in the 2.- A water-controlling device for water ways, compri'sing a gatfe"arranged in the .water-wayand normally open, a regulating gate-in the wat'e'r way neX-t'be'low the 'said' shut-off gatd'f means' actuated by the rise and -n11" of "the water in the waterway for ;1owering er raising the said regulating gate, and supporting-meanscontrolled by the said regulating 1 gate for a normally holding the said 'shut-oft gate in raised open position 'and' fof releasing the said shiit-o-fl" gate on {an-abnormalriseof the water in the waterway "to allowthe-sa'id shut-'oflgate' to drop into close'd positioni- A m ro'lling device for waterways, colnprising 'a shut' off gate arranged in" "the water-way, supporting means engag ing the-saidshut-oflfi gate 'to hold the same normally *in" raisedopen position, the said supportlng n'ieans beiiig 'adapted to release the said {shut-01f gate "to allow the latter I to drop mto 'c1osed'position, a regulatin gate arranged-fin ft-he water ivay next below the said' shutf olligate; a floa t' in thesaid waterway below "the said-regulating gate'g connectsaid regiflatin'g gate; and releasing mean's controlled by the said" -regulating gate and 'oonnected with" the said supporting means for-the shutoffgate-.

4:. Award-"controlling device for Waterwa s oom prisiag a shut-bit gate 1 arranged in the'water w'ay "su porting means 'en a'ging the' said shut -ofi gatetohold the SEE-me normally "in raised 1 position, the said sup ing" means 9 connecting the said float "with the 1 porting means being adapted to release the said shut-off gate to allow the latter to drop into closed position, a regulating gate arranged in the Water-way next below the said shut-0E gate, a float in the said waterway below the said regulating gate, a float lever connecting the said float with the said regulating gate, and a releasing device having bars held on the said regulating gate and spring-pressed arms mounted to swing and adapted to be engaged by the said bars, the said arms being connected with the said supporting means.

5. A water-controlling device for waterways, comprising a regulating gate arranged in the water-way, a float in the said water-way, a lever pivotally connecting the said float with the said gate, and a guide for the said lever and held on the said float intermediate the gate and the pivotal connection of the lever with the float.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILFORD LAFAYETTE HURST.

Witnesses:

' C. F. BROWN,

HARRY A. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

